The 21-year-old was rushed into surgery after his ear was ripped during the match to the extent that it was hanging on by a thread. And following the successful operation, Ospreys head physio Chris Towers is hopeful that King will be back in training in around four weeks time.

"James underwent a surgical procedure on the night of the game to repair a lacerated ear and is now following medical advice to enable it to heal properly," Towers said. "The expectation is that it will around four weeks before he will be in a position to take contact again, and as such we are working to get him back playing within those timescales."

And in a further boost, Towers expects Richard Fussell - who injured his ankle against Saracens at the Liberty Stadium - to be available for selection before the end of the Heineken Cup Pool stages.

Towers said: "Richard is entering the final stages of rehab and is doing well. We should be in a position next week to make a decision regarding availability for the Biarritz game, but I'd say he has a realistic chance of being available for selection."